In 2002, Sorrell notoriously described the advertising industry as being in a 'bath-shaped recession', which apparently meant that expenditure on advertising would slide steeply, stagnate over a prolonged period, then eventually recover. [3]

In December 2005, an expensive divorce resulted in Sorrell cashing in £12m of his shares in WPP.[4] In 2005, Sorrell receieved a remuneration of £52m from WPP. [5]